That the process of determining Kosovo’s future status has now entered its final phase it is hard to argue against. How the process will end is even harder to predict. What is clear however is that all countries in the region will in one way or another be affected and that the longer the process drags on the higher the risks for all those involved. The declaration of the Serb Minister for Kosovo on the possibility of Serbia sending troops into Kosovo and the constant warnings – and veiled threats – that the independence of Kosovo will destabilize the region, certainly have gone a long way towards exacerbating such fears and creating tensions. This also explains why the latest flurry of activity on the part of the Albanian political establishment – with the leaders of the opposition visiting Kosovo and Kosovo’s prime minister visiting Albania – and the gathering of the National Security Council by Albania’s president gave cause for concern to many that Albania might be taking a more belligerent position towards the Kosovo situation with all the risks that such a development would entail. (Lately there were even rumors that the Albanian Army was on it highest level of alert.) What is one then to make of this situation?
Cynics might see the latest actions by the Albanian government and president as nothing more than moves intended to draw attention away from the real problems the country is facing, such as the power supply crisis, or attempts to win popularity by reinforcing their patriotic credentials and there may well be some of that. However it is much more probable that the moves of the Albanian political establishment are motivated by a sound sense of realism and pragmatism.
This Albanian government, just as those that preceded it, has long been torn between the need to support Kosovo unconditionally and the need to keep in line with the position of the International Community. While privately members of the government might want Kosovo to get full independence, they have constantly stated that Albania supports the Ahtisaari Plan and the conditional independence it envisages. This is also the country’s official position. The difficulties encountered while attempting to balance these two positions probably explain the prudent statements that have come from the Albanian government on the Kosovo issue.
Lately however the reality of the situation seems to have caused a shift towards a more assertive Albanian policy vis-ஶis Kosovo; it can no longer afford to remain passive. After all although it is often said that Kosovo is an EU or UN matter it is first and foremost a matter for Kosovo and its neighbors and Albania is one of the countries whose stability and security would be more directly and seriously affected by any negative developments there. It is in this light that one must interpret the latest developments on the Albanian political scene. The visits of dignitaries and the gathering of the National Security Council are not intended to serve as a warning of Albania’s more belligerent stance. They simply serve to remind the International Community that the lack of solutions for the Kosovo question presents Albania with a security threat and that clarity is needed.
